Bama in the NFL: Should Seahawks Great Shaun Alexander be in the Hall of Fame?

The former Crimson Tide running back is eighth on the all-time list for rushing touchdowns, yet still gotten the call for Canton.

Christopher Walsh | Aug 23, 2023

Bama in the NFL: Should Seahawks Great Shaun Alexander be in the Hall of Fame? /

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Alabama Crimson Tide

He's not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Shaun Alexander's name is noticeably absent from the College Football Hall of Fame as well, but that's partly due to the logjam of Alabama Crimson Tide players who are waiting their chance as the last inductee was still from the Paul W. "Bear" Bryant years, Sylvester Croom.

Alexander, though, has been named as a modern-era nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame nine of the past 10 years, but has yet to make it to the semifinalist stage. It's frustrating, especially since he was the 2005 MVP after leading the league in rush attempts (370), rushing yards (1,880), and rushing touchdowns (27) while averaging 117.5 yards per game while helping lead the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. That came on the heels of being one yard shy of the rushing title in 2004 (1,696 yards, compared to Curtis Martin's 1,697).

He scored an NFL-record 28 touchdowns, and his 168 points were the second-most in league history behind Paul Hornung’s 176 in 1960. He's still third on the all-time list.

Alexander also holds the franchise career marks in rushing attempts (2,176), rushing yards (9,429), rushing touchdowns (100), and yards per game (79.2). Overall, he finished his career with 9,453 yards and 117 touchdowns, which are 17th all-time. He’s one of the nine players with 100 rushing touchdowns.

But longevity is often cited as the reason why Alexander hasn't been inducted, even some other running backs with shortened careers, like Earl Campbell, Terrell Davis and Gale Sayers, have been enshrined.

“I try to keep it humble, but I think the 98, 99 touchdowns total in five years, it stands on its own,” Alexander told NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, in 2021 "When I came to Seattle, we’d had three winning seasons in 25 years — three playoff seasons — and so by the time I leave, the culture’s different. We were winning. Everybody knows they’re going to come to Seattle and they might get out being beat by a lot. We just changed the culture with that. The touchdowns and the yards, they just hadn’t been done in Seattle like that.

“Gale Sayers and Earl Campbell, those would be correct players [for comparison] because even though it seems like I’m often compared to Emmitt (Smith) or Barry (Sanders), and those guys played 12, 15 more years. Really, you can almost squeeze mine down to six. But if you compare me to those greats, Gale and Earl Campbell and Terrell Davis, who I love, big brother, you know, you take my six years against theirs, then I think everybody would say we all deserve gold jackets.”

Alexander is one of just of two Alabama players to have been a first-round draft pick by the Seahawks, James Carpenter in 2011 the other, after being Alabama’s all-time rushing leader with 3,565 career yards prior to the Nick Saban era (he's since been surpassed by Najee Harris and Derrick Henry). He also set school records with 727 rushing attempts, 15 100-yard games, 41 rushing touchdowns, and 50 total touchdowns.

Overall, he left the Capstone after the 1999 season holding 15 school records and three Southeastern Conference marks. A sprained ankle against Tennessee knocked him out of contention for the Heisman Trophy during his senior year, but he did help lead the Crimson Tide to the SEC title.

“I didn’t come back to win the Heisman Trophy,” Alexander said after the 34-7 victory against Florida in the SEC Championship Game. “I came back to play in games like this. The guys on this team wanted this championship so badly.”

Running behind All-American lineman Chris Samuels, Alexander was named first-team All-SEC after rushing for 1,383 yards on 302 attempts and 19 touchdowns, voted SEC Offensive Player of the Year by coaches, and a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. He concluded his collegiate career with 161 yards on 25 carries and three touchdowns versus Michigan in the Orange Bowl.

Bama in the NFL: Seattle Seahawks

The Franchise

National Football Conference

West Division Virginia

Team Colors: College Navy, Wolf Grey, Action Green

Founded: 1974, played first season in 1976

Stadium: Lumen Field (capacity 68,740)

Playing Surface: FieldTurf

Training Camp: Virginia Mason Athletic Center, Renton, Wash.

All-Time Alabama Players

Shaun Alexander, RB, 2000 - 2007
James Carpenter, OG, 2011 - 2014
Bob Cryder, OG, 1984 - 1986
Randy Edwards, DE, 1984 - 1987
D.J. Fluker, OT, 2018 - 2019
E.J. Junior, LB, 1992 - 1993
Eddie Lacy, RB, 2017
Kevin Norwood, WR, 2014
Jarran Reed, DT, 2016 - 2020
Bo Scarbrough, RB, 2018, 2020
Ricky Thomas, DB, 1987
Carson Tinker, LS, 2022
Chance Warmack, OG, 2020
Jesse Williams, DT, 2013 - 2015
Cornelius Wortham, LB, 2005

Crimson Tide Players Drafted

Year	Player	Pos.	Round	Pick	Overall
2000	Shaun Alexander	RB	1	19	19
2005	Cornelius Wortham	LB	7	21	235
2011	James Carpenter	T	1	25	25
2013	Jesse Williams	DT	5	4	137
2014	Kevin Norwood	WR	4	23	123
2016	Jarran Reed	DT	2	18	49

Super Bowl Appearances

Super Bowl XL (Feb. 5, 2006)

Shaun Alexander, who led the NFL in rushing and set set a record for touchdowns, had 20 carries for 95 yards and caught two passes for Seattle, but couldn't reach the end zone. The Steelers pulled away in the second half for the 21-10 victory. Linebacker Cornelius Wortham was also on the Seahawks' roster.

Super Bowl XLIX (Feb. 1, 2015)

Defensive tackle Jesse Williams was credited with three tackles and James Carpenter started at left guard for Seattle, which saw New England steal the win on rookie Malcolm Butler's goal-line interception in the final seconds preserve the Patriot's 28-24 victory. Wide receiver Kevin Norwood was also on the Seahawks' roster.

Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander tries to break through the Pittsburgh Steelers defense in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XL at Ford Field. Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend (26) is the background. — John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Major Awards/Honors

All-Pro

Shaun Alexander (1): 2005

Pro Bowl

Shaun Alexander (3): 2003, 2004, 2005

NFL Most Valuable Player

Shaun Alexander (2005)

NFL Offensive Player of the Year

Shaun Alexander (2005)

Other Shaun Alexander Honors

Bert Bell Award (2005)
NFL rushing yards leader (2005)
NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2001, 2005)
NFL scoring leader (2005)
NFL 2000s All-Decade Team
Seattle Seahawks 35th Anniversary team
Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor

In conjunction with our revamped Bama in the NFL Database, this is the 29th story in a series examining the team-by-team history of Alabama's former players in the NFL.

AFC

NFC